CH 57
A week after the search was called off. Nikki showed up to mike place one late afternoon. "Nikki you don't look good"
"neither do you sir"
"come in" Nikki walk in side and into the kitchen dinning area.
"Dose Kate dad know"
"Yes he will be here in three days in time for the... service."
"I try talking to commander white she won't listen to me... I think I know where they are"
"Nikki"
"sir, please"
"Ok, I'm listening" Nikki put lap top on the island and open it up then she turn it on and did some typing.
"This is where Hammersley was last, with the currents, wind direction from the storm. The NAVCOM experts recon that they would end up in there area" she pointed to the map
"i know that that is where they did the search"
"they were wrong"
"Meaning"
"I made some calls to the weather service as well talk to some of the boat owners who went through that storm. Sir they were hundreds of miles off course"
"What are you saying"
"The weather said that the winds north east from the storm"
"Yes"
"they were wrong, they were north west and with the currents and if Hammersley lost power and with the currents over the past few days, it should put them" Nikki did some typing then show mike
"Here"
"Are you sure" Mike asked
"Yes I triple check every thing"
"I'll contact Maxine about this"
"no"
"No" he said
"I've try telling her, she wouldn't listen, that is why I came here... I'm flying to Darwin tonight. I book a private plane for tomorrow." Nikki said as she close her lap top down. Then she put fold up piece of paper on the counter
"that is where I'll be at five in the morning I've got to try"
"I under stand" he pull her into his arms.
"I better go, I got a flight to catch"
"Ok, good luck, keep me up to date"
"I will sir"
mike show Nikki out the door then he return back into the kitchen as he put his hands through his hair as he look up to see his parents looking at him
"you should go Mike" Paul said
"i know"
"go and pack, I'll call the air lines and Jane" mike step ford and hug Alice
"thanks mum... dad" he said as he hug him then he walk out of the kitchen.
"do you think Nikki right" Alice asked Paul
"You heard what she said"
"Yes I do and I hope she can find them"
"Same here"
The next morning Nikki walk over to where the sea plane is since it was starting to get light. She was carry three bags with her.
"hi I'm looking for John, Johnson"
"Hi your Nikki Tomaszewski"
"Yes sir" they shook hands
"This is my co pilot TJ"
"hi" Nikki said as they shook hands.
"your looking for Hammersley"
"Yes and I know where they might be"
"Are you sure" Nikki smile
"Yes, I got to try not only for my family but for the crew family"
"We under stand, when your ready" then they saw a car pull up and some one getting out carrying a bag, then the car left. When the person turn around he walk over to them
"sir" Nikki said smiling
"i wasn't going to let you go up there all alone" they both hug.
"Hi, I'm commander Mike Flynn"
"I'm john and he TJ, welcome a board commander Flynn, shall we" they shook hands then they walk to the plane and got in.
fifteen minutes later they were air borne heading out to sea. Nikki move till she was up where the pilots are
"here the first concordant" she pass them piece of paper so they head to the area.
It took three hours to reach the area then they start the search. They were in the air for another two hours checking area where Hammersley might be. Mike was looking out of one window with binoculars while Nikki looking out another window and the pilot and co pilot where looking out there window. Lucky they got a portal loo on board for them to use during the flight.
John walk to the back to where mike and Nikki are. They turn to him "We will be returning back in half an hour"
"i under stand" Nikki said then she look out the window when she saw some thing so she raise her binoculars.
"john, sir I think I found them" Nikki said yelling.
Mike move from where he was and use his binoculars "It a patrol boat alright"
John when up the front then mike and Nikki followed him. They watch as the plane turn left and headed to the ship
"Can you get lower I want to see the number" Nikki said so John lower the plane and Nikki raise her binoculars
"It them, it them, oh my..." Nikki said in shock when she the state Hammersley was in. when they got close John circle the ship seeing the crew on the deck waving there arms.
"Oh my god" Nikki said when they saw how bad the damage was done to Hammersley.
"Can you land the plane close to the ship" Nikki asked
"No problems are you got to swim to them"
"Yes we are" Nikki said smiling
"when you back up in the air contact Darwin navy base tell them we found Hammersley and would need tow back"
"no problems" When the plane landed on the water.
John got it close to Hammersley. Then he went to the back of the plane and open the door and put his head out and wave to the crew then he put his head back in and turn to Nikki and mike who was hugging then Nikki step forward and she look out the door the crew cheered.
"Listen up I need a long rope for pulling" Nikki said yelling at the crew.
Then they ran all directions. Then when they return with the rope. They saw Nikki put a small raft into the sea and pull the cord then it blew up. Then she put in the two big packs and two sea bags into it and look up at them
"Toss me the rope" Nikki smile when she saw buffer toss Nikki the rope. She caught it and tie it to the raft.
"Ok here we come get the second rope ready to pull us up"
She move the raft away while the crew got the second pull line rope ready then she got into the sea hanging onto the raft then they saw the second person, which cause them to cheer, he got into the sea and hang onto the raft.
They all heard "Hey X your white night is here" Spider said yelling.
Nikki gave the thumps up so the crew start pulling them towards the damage Hammersley. Then they pull mike up first. Nikki was checking to make sure the bags and raft was secure then the rope appeared with the harness.
"Ok, bring both raft and me up at the same time" Nikki said.
Then the crew started pulling Nikki and the raft out of the sea while Mike and Kate were hugging and kissing. Once Nikki and the raft was on board Pete hug and kiss Nikki like there was no tomorrow. Then mike look around while asking Kate number of questions. Then he went to the edge of the ship and yelled out
"Can you take the wounded back to Darwin with you"
"How many wounded" john yelled out
"six wounded"
"Can they swim" Mike look at Kate
"no" he turn to john and shook his head no.
"Sir use the raft" Nikki said Mike turn to Nikki then to the raft
"Great idea" then he turn to john
"We going to use the raft to move the wounded to your plane"
"Great idea, let's do it" Pete untied the rope from the raft and the four bags, he pass them to Nikki which she open one and got a black and yellow beacon out, she turn it on and pass it to Kate
"Thank you Nikki out one was destroyed during the storm"
"Through so. Swain here is med kits I thought you would be out by now"
"I am with a lot of things"
"Here batters for torches and other things, plus" she show every one sat phone.
"Swain want to let Sally know your alive and would be home soon"
"thanks Nav" Then he use it to call Sally then buffer gave him a hard time so sally know it no hokes. When he hung up he pass the phone back to Nikki.
"Thanks Nav"
"your welcome. Sir want to do the honors" she pass him the phone
"no you call" Nikki remember the phone number then she made a call.
"This is lieutenant Tomaszewski I need to talk to rear admiral towers please... rear admiral towers sir... yes it is important... this is why" then she move the phone and pointed to the crew
"Rear admiral towers sir this is the crew of the HMAS Hammersley, we are alive, we want to go home" the crew yelled out then cheered. Then they started to sing wanted to go home tune
Nikki move the phone back to her ear "did you hear that sir... Yes sir, commander Flynn and I are standing on Hammersley right now... I've activated a beacon... charlie, foxtrot, golf eight two... that the activation beacon number sir... bad shape sir but you heard crew are in good spirits... yes there are number of wounded... six sir... they going to be flown back... I hired a sea plane, commander Flynn came with me... yes sir it will be in my report sir... thank you sir... lieutenant McGregor acting captain sir... yes sir" she pass the phone to Kate
"sip rep" Kate walk away from the others to talk to fleet command with mike with her.
While the crew got every thing set up for the first wounded. Buffer toss rope to John who hung onto it while crew members lower both Swain and the first wounded into the raft. Then swain remove the harness around the captain since he was wounded with broken leg, dislocated shoulder and broken collar bone.
Once in he gave john the thumbs up so he and TJ pull the rope that pull the raft to there plane then they carefully pick the wounded captain up since he was unconscious on to the plane while crew pull the raft back towards them.
It took over an hour to transport the six wounded onto the plane. Bomber went with them since she broke her arm but she can keep an eye on them for the three and half hour flight back to Darwin. The crew watch as the sea plane move away from Hammersley and took off and flew back to Darwin.
Then they crew went to hug both mike and Nav "you all need a shower" Nikki said making them all laugh.
"How long was the navy searching for us" Charge asked
"five days before the search was called off" Nikki said
then she turn to see foreign fishermen and other people walk onto the boat deck they ran over and gave mike and Nikki a hug
"We were told we going to be rescue, is that true" A women asked
"Yes"
"thank, you, thank you, thank you" she hug Nikki again.
Hour later Pete told Nikki about what happen. They headed into the storm cause of a may day call. They went and manage to rescue a family who yacht was badly damage during the storm. ET and Bomber had harness on and rope connected to it. They jump into the ruff seas and swam over and rescue the family of four.
They rescue the children first when the kids hang on to bomber and ET when they were pulled back to Hammersley then they put the kids in a harness which was pulled up and out of the sea then ET and bomber swam back to get the parents then they were pulled back to Hammersley and all four were pulled up and out of the sea.
Then they all went below decks since the sea was getting worse by then they received another may day call so they headed to it when charge notice the engines temp was starting to rise but keep an eye on it.
When they reach the boat they saw three people in the sea so ET and bomber jump in the sea again and swam over to the three and manage to pull them to Hammersley then they were pulled up.
Captain try to go through the storm but it was so bad with the wave crashing against the ship as they try to stay on course when they were hit by lighting which affected long range communications and didn't know what else was affected till they pass through the storm.
Then they were able to find out what other damages there was on the out side. They were lucky so they thought. They came across two lots of foreign fishermen who been in sea since there boat broke up during the storm.
When they were on board they decided to head back to Cairns when they ended up in another bad storm where they went to rescue another family. They got the family on board when a wave came up and crash down on the family boat braking it in half before it hit the ship damaging one of the HRIBS cranes.
They watch from the bridge as half of the broken boat landed on the boat deck moving around causing more damages then a wave took the boat off the deck and back into the sea, by then the engines cut out cause it was over heated.
Charge try to get it going but once it each a sustain temp there was a cut off switch which kick in then they heard a bang which shook the ship. They use the out side cameras to find out what they hit or what hit them.
It was another boat, there was two people on board. So they had to go out again and rescue the two men. In the result of four of the crew ended up getting wounded during the rescue and both bomber and captain ended up losing there balance as they were either going up or down the stair in resulting both of them getting wounded.
When the storm pass four of the crew went to check the damage done to Hammersley. But it wasn't till day light when they saw how bad the damage is. ET went to to check structural damage to find out it was ok but one of the pillars were badly damage like the back where the steps are when the two guys boat hit them. Plus they lost power during the storm.
The crew help each other out the best they could and with food and water there was left. By the time Pete finish telling Nikki every thing. Mike was there hearing what happen. The crew saved sixteen lives during during and after the two storms.
"You guys were lucky" Mike said
"We were sir, how did you know where we were"
"I work it out" Nikki said. Every one turn to Nikki
"I check out from when your transponder last activated to the tide, currents, wind and of course the bad weather. Some thing wasn't right so I made number of calls and talk to the captains and skippers of the boat and ships that went though the storm what they told me and what was given to the navy were two different tides, currents wind direction. So I check it when I was given and work out with the currents. The search party was hundreds of miles off course. So I told commander Flynn yesterday that I knew where you might be and I try to tell commander white this new information. She didn't want to hear it. She told me to forget about it and that Hammersley and it crew is dead. I yell at her and told her that they are not dead and that I was going to prove it. I went to make some calls, went and told commander Flynn and fly to Darwin last night and on the plane this morning with commander Flynn. We did a search for over two hours when I saw Hammersley but wasn't sure till we saw the number eight two. That is when we you all"
"When we saw the plane turning and heading this way we were getting excited till we saw it tilted it wings as it circle Hammersley before landing." buffer said smiling as he lean over and kiss her.
"you need a shower and a shave" Nikki said making every one laugh.
"but I'm happy that you are all alive" Nikki said.